Neighbors Of Lancaster County: Amish Weddings Part 15

"Pretty sure or sure? The police report indicated you were uncertain," the man said. "And the report indicated"-there was the rustling of paper-"that you had a head injury from the accident, perhaps contributing to a cognitive issue."

"It was a mild concussion," Zane corrected.

"But can Ms. Lehman be certain she can remember the moments right before the accident? To know the horse didn't cut in front of the vehicle."

"I remember being over as far as I could be on the road and then being hit from behind, and I remember going through the winds.h.i.+eld, over the top-"

"The police report corroborates Mr. Addison's story."

"No," Zane said. "It doesn't."

"Pardon?" the man said.

"The deputy believed the driver over Lila. That's all." Zane stood but leaned toward the phone on the table. "I think your client is trying to take advantage of Lila being Amish. And I'm guessing you are too."

"No, no, no, that couldn't be further from the truth," the man said. "And we could counter you're trying to take advantage of a driver who happens to have accident insurance as opposed to the driver of the buggy who obviously does not." Zane bristled. Was that how insurance companies worked? "We'll be sending Ms. Lehman the cost of the repairs to Mr. Addison's vehicle."

"That's ridiculous," Zane said.

"No, that's the law."

"We'll be contacting an attorney," Zane said.

The voice grew deeper. "I thought you just said Ms. Lehman is Amish."

"And that's why you thought you could bully her?"

"Of course not," the man said. "But we won't be paying for her medical bills or for the buggy. Like I said, she'll need to pay for the repairs to Mr. Addison's vehicle."

"Good-bye," Zane said, hitting the End b.u.t.ton and picking up the phone. "They're bluffing," he said, before Lila could respond. She appeared sh.e.l.l-shocked.

"I can't call an attorney," she said. "That's not what we do."

"I'll talk to one and get some ideas." Zane wondered where he'd come up with the money.

Tears filled Lila's eyes.

"Don't think about it," Zane said. "I'll figure it out."

"I don't want the mutual fund to have to pay for it," Lila said. "Not when I'm the one who was. .h.i.t."

"I know." Zane didn't really understand the fund, except that everyone contributed to it to pay for medical expenses of people in the district. Lila's accident certainly qualified, but the man's insurance should have to pay for her medical care. And the buggy.

Zane stumbled to his feet.

"Are you mad?" Lila asked.

"Of course not." Zane stopped beside the bed even though he felt like running. He exhaled. It wasn't her fault.

"I'm sure I was over as far as I could be, that Billie didn't pull to the left. There's no way he could have. But the way the agent was talking, it makes me question myself."

"You're a good driver," Zane said. "I believe you. Keep believing yourself."

"Denki," she said.

"Dad has a lawyer acquaintance. He's across the street from the Veterans Center-he's a vet and helps other vets. I'll see about talking to him." He patted her arm and then put the phone on the table. "Don't worry. Try to rest some more, until Mom comes over with supper."

She nodded.

"I'm going to go work on the bathroom until then."

Lila already had her eyes closed as he walked away.

As he sanded by hand, his frustration grew. He'd felt such harmony a year ago when he joined the church, standing in front of the congregation as he proclaimed, "I am a seeker desiring to be part of this church of G.o.d." He knew seeking after G.o.d and Christian community were both lifelong endeavors. He knew life had its ups and downs. He just expected the downs to come a little later.

He embraced the Amish, he really did, and he'd never felt such peace as the day he joined, such confidence that it was what G.o.d wanted him to do. But maybe the whole lifestyle thing wasn't as doable as he thought.

Lila's injuries were worse than his had been when he'd been shot in Afghanistan, and her recovery would take much longer. He remembered the pain he'd been in and the meds he'd taken to get through it. He knew she had to be in horrible agony, probably far worse than she let on. Her body had been tossed from the buggy, then flung through the air, and landed in the creek with the horse on top of her. He shuddered. He hated to even think of it, to replay it in his head.

If Lila had been in a car or pickup she wouldn't have been hurt so badly. And if the Amish sued, the insurance agent wouldn't be trying to bully Lila.

He threw the sandpaper on the floor. And if he could use an electric sander, he wouldn't be rubbing off his fingertips.

"Zane?" It was Mom, standing in the middle of the kitchen, staring at him, her coat still on and holding a pot with oven mitts.

Mom's eyes were full of concern. "Are you all right?"

"Yeah," he said. "I'm fine."

"What's going on?"

"Lots." Where would he start? He'd tell her about the conversation with the insurance agent later. He jerked his head toward the living room. "What's with Lila? Is she taking too many pain meds?"

"No," Mom said. "We've been regulating them carefully."

"She's all wiped out-like she can't stay awake."

"Her pain is still really bad. Plus she needs to sleep to heal."

"Is there another bottle of pain meds? Because she's almost out."

"There's one in the cupboard in the kitchen. She usually only takes half the prescribed dose-the whole dose is sometimes too much."

"Okay," Zane said. At least she wasn't taking as much as he feared.

Mom said the soup was from one of the Amish ladies and then put the pot on the stove. Zane picked up the sandpaper and started sanding the molding along the door, thinking about what he wouldn't give for a Shop-Vac to clean everything up.

Lila slept for the rest of the evening and only woke enough to eat some soup. Finally, around eight, Zane headed back over to his parents' house to eat there, leaving Mom with Lila.

Trevor was still asleep on the sofa when he arrived. Dad was sitting with Adam at the kitchen table, helping him with his homework. Without saying h.e.l.lo, he nodded toward Trevor and then asked his dad what was going on.

"I don't know," Dad said. "I'm guessing he's tired."

Adam closed his math book.

"Sorry, Bub," Zane said. "Were you done?"

"Yep. I just have my reading. I'll do that upstairs."

Once Adam left the room, Zane sat down and told Dad about the conversation with the insurance agent.

"Is Lila sure she didn't pull to the left?"

"Yes," Zane answered. "And I believe her. She's cautious and methodical when she drives. But she's doubted herself some, because of what the other driver said." Zane shook his head. "She's really not herself."

"Give her time," Dad said. "And s.p.a.ce. That's what I needed after my injury. It's what you needed too."

Zane exhaled. His dad was right. Lila had encouraged him through that time. He needed to do his best to encourage her now.

Dad grabbed his cane from where it hung on the table edge and stood. "But it sounds as if the insurance company might be trying to take advantage of her, maybe even manipulate her memory."

"That's what I'm afraid of," Zane answered. "I thought maybe I could talk with that lawyer who does pro bono work sometimes."

"Brad Garrett?"

Zane nodded, remembering when he'd met the man a couple of years ago. He'd been impressed with him then.

Dad smiled a little as he leaned on the cane and pushed himself up out of the chair. "Yeah, I'm sure he'd be happy to give you some advice. Do you think Tim would be all right with that?"

Zane shrugged.

"Don't go behind Tim's back," Dad said.

"I want justice for Lila."

Dad c.o.c.ked his head. "That's not really the Amish way though, is it? They'd probably rather pay her expenses out of the mutual aid fund than get involved in any lawsuit."

Zane shrugged again. When he'd wrangled with whether he could live as a pacifist or not, he'd thought through the fighting part of it. He hadn't thought through a case like this, through the legal side of it.

"I know you've always held yourself and others to a high standard as far as doing the right thing, but you're living under different rules now." Dad took a step toward the kitchen doorway. "You should probably talk with Gideon or someone else in the church before you talk with Brad."

Zane didn't respond to his father. Instead he stared at his chapped and sc.r.a.ped hands for a long moment. Construction work was taking its toll. He should wear his gloves more often. Finally he stood and dished up some soup-beef barley-from the pot Mom had left on her stove and sat back down at the table. As he shoveled the food into his mouth, Trevor wandered into the kitchen, bleary eyed.

"What's for supper?" he asked.

Zane tilted his nearly empty bowl so Trevor could see. "Soup. It's on the stove."

Trevor retrieved a bowl from the cupboard, filled it, and sat across from Zane. "Who's hanging out with Lila tonight?"

"Mom."

"Is Rose there?"

Zane wrinkled his nose. "Why do you ask?"

"Just wondered."

After Lila mentioned her concern about Trevor and Rose on Sunday, Zane had brought up the topic with Trevor on the way to work on Monday. Trevor had a.s.sured Zane he had no interest in her.

One of the reasons Mom thought Trevor should stay at Eve and Charlie's was so he'd be away from Rose, saying Tim wouldn't feel comfortable having a stranger staying so close. Zane thought she was being paranoid, but he had to admit now she'd probably been wise in her judgment. And maybe he'd been too quick to believe Trevor on Monday morning.

Zane put his spoon in the bowl and pushed back a little from the table. "What's going on with you?"

Trevor blushed, which he didn't do very often.

Zane exhaled. "Don't tell me you're falling for Rose." What a nightmare that would be. "You said you wouldn't."

Trevor shook his head. "Of course not. She's beautiful though. And her innocence is appealing."

Zane crossed his arms, alarmed, and cleared his throat.

"Don't worry-I didn't mean it that way. I meant she's s.p.u.n.ky and fun. Not the way I imagined an Amish girl to be-not at all." He blushed again. "No offense."

"None taken."

"I always thought you were crazy to fall for an Amish girl, but now I get it."

Zane shook his head. "No, you don't get it. Leave Rose alone. She and Reuben are courting." He wouldn't mention that they seemed to be stressed. "Hopefully they'll marry soon. You'd only hurt her."

"I won't. I promise." Trevor took a bite of the soup and then said, "Maybe I'll head back home sooner than I thought."

"You said you planned to stay."

Trevor held his spoon in midair. "I appreciate Charlie and Eve's hospitality, but it's awkward staying there. I don't know them, and their baby cries a lot." He paused for a moment and then said, "Being here has made me feel more isolated-not less."

"Isolated?" He was around people all the time.

"Yeah, I'm the outsider. I see what you have with Lila. I see your family. I see you with your dad, something I never really had-I mean, he was there . . . but not really. I see Rose's family. The other Amish people who have brought meals over." He shrugged. "I've never seen anything like it."

"And it makes you feel isolated?"

He nodded. "And it's not just that I'll never have anything like this. It's that you all dress the same. Drive the same buggy. Live in white houses with flowers planted all around. You really know how to make a guy feel like an outsider." He took another spoonful of soup.

Zane thought about what Trevor said. He wasn't sure how to explain it but he had to try. "We appear the same for the sake of modesty."

"Yeah, I get that. The women hide behind those dresses."

"No, that's not it," Zane said. "We all aim to practice modesty. It shows we identify with each other, that we've chosen to be part of a Plain community. That's why our buggies look alike too-no one can flaunt their money by having something much nicer. Same with the houses. We don't want to call attention to ourselves, to insinuate one person is better than another. We all have value in G.o.d's eyes. We're all equal to him."